UiTM anti-Christian seminar ‘odious and dangerous’, says Sarawak PKR

Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian says programmes like this whip up feelings of insecurity and fear among Muslim youths by demonising Christianity.

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KUCHING, Dec 15, 2015:

State PKR chairman Baru Bian is outraged with the UiTM anti-Christian seminar held in the university’s Lendu campus in Malacca recently.

Calling the seminar “odious and dangerous”, Baru also questioned the police for sending a speaker to the controversial event held at the university.

“What does the police force have to do with strengthening the akidah of Muslims? They are supposed to keep law and order, not dabble in religious instruction.

“The fact that they think it is acceptable to hold this seminar and to even send an officer to speak should give us loud warning bells — what sort of people do we have in the police force?” said Baru in a statement.

A picture posted by Facebook user Deacon Adrian Ng on his page last Saturday showed one of the slides at the seminar, which says “Ancaman Gerakan Permurtadan Kristianisasi”, that is making its rounds on the social media.

The slide also bears the police logo alongside UiTM’s.

Malaysiakini reported Malacca police chief Datuk Chua Ghee Lye as confirming the presence of a Bukit Aman Special Branch officer who attended the seminar as a speaker and said the seminar touched on attempts to convert Muslims to other religions, and it was meant to strengthen the akidah of the Muslims, especially among university students.

The Malay Mail Online also quoted Malacca UiTM corporate communications chief Siti Najah Raihan Sakrani, who confirmed the seminar and said it was held to “strengthen the faith of Muslims students”.

She was also quoted saying non-Muslims were exempted from the programme because the university “did not want to create a controversy, where we might be accused of trying to convert them to Islam”.

Baru said programmes like this whip up feelings of insecurity and fear among Muslim youths by demonising Christianity.

“What started as Umno using Christianity as the bogeyman to divide and rule the people is leading to the radicalisation of Islam in this country, and the consequences will be catastrophic.

“Moderate Muslims must speak up and support those like the G25 who are trying to bring some rationality back to the country’s leadership. The police and A-G must investigate this shameful incident,” urged Baru.